When I was a brand new mom, I enjoyed bringing my one baby girl, Sara, to Walbaums for a morning of grocery shopping. I’d tucked infant Sara into a front knapsack carrier and easily push a shopping cart up and down the familiar aisles. When she grew out of the carrier, I lined the shopping cart with thick blankets. Those handy-dandy infant seats that snap out of the car base and fit neatly in the shopping cart seat were not yet invented. I needed another cart to pull around for the groceries. Once Sara was big enough to sit up safely in the seat of the cart, I was happily reduced to one cart.
I started the grocery shopping excursion at the bakery. Waldbaums had their own bakery. If I timed the shopping just right, I could pick out a warm crusty freshly baked loaf of Italian bread. It was Sara’s favorite. I pulled the heel off the loaf (my favorite part) and gave the long loaf to Sara. She dug into the soft insides with her little hands and happily ate as we shopped. She could reach her whole arm into the loaf to pull every bit of fluffy bread. She hollowed out the long loaf by the time we paid the cashier.
Now I had a loaf of Italian bread ready for the next favorite dish—a seamless meatball hero. 
Welcome to my Blogging A-Z April 2018 Challenge. My theme is Food Stories Remembered because there is always a story when food is involved. I consider myself a good home cook with a great appetite for hearty food. I have witnessed the creation of favorite recipes in friends’ kitchens and have learned from the best—my mother, grandmother, and mother-in-law. Recipes may be included. I am remaining uncommitted on this because when I cook, I seldom measure. If you try any of my recipes, you are cooking at your own risk. Grab a glass of wine. Hope you’re hungry!
Antoinette Truglio Martin is the author of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. The memoir is a wimpy patient’s journey through her first year of breast cancer treatment.
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Stories Served 
I’m torn between Italian bread and a nice French bread, both are superb 🙂
https://iainkellywriting.com/2018/04/10/i-is-for-iasi-romania/
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In my mind, French bread is for crosini appetizers which is classy and nice, but Italian bread is for everyday eating. Thanks for commenting.
https://antoinettetrugliomartin.com/blog/
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I can just imagine your daughter, with her arm stuffed all the way into the loaf! What a fun memory! Melanie’s Stories
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I can imagine eating picking the inside and eating the soft part of the bread. such a good food memory.
have a lovely day.
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I never heard of the heel before we began talking in my Facebook groups – it was funny hearing all the names they called it. I had only said the “end” which logically it is! I enjoy pulling it off when the sauce is cooking. LOL you can easily devour the loaf before dinner! Another thing I never ate bef coming to CT – we only ate sliced white bread.
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